One Panama City, Floridapodiatrist, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, who graduated from the New York School of Podiatric Medicine in 1975, is familiar with the many approaches taken to treating heel pain. In his book, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, Schuler advances his perspective that it is all too common to misdiagnose heel pain and rush to treat it with injections or surgery. But, how about using a toe pad instead. Schuler’s reasoning behind taping a toe pad underneath your first toe applies only if you have Morton’s Toe (or short first metatarsal bone).

In his 36 years of podiatry practice, Schuler states that he has witnessed many patients’ heel pain diminish because they treated their Morton’s Toe. Abnormal pronation of the foot can place undue stress on the arch and heel of the foot–eventually leading to chronic pain. The toe pad alleviates this stress. This treatment is a welcome alternative, as treatments like corticosteroid injections are discouraged by many as a first line of treatment, because “They don’t address a single issue that gave the person the problem,” says Michael Gross, PT, Ph.D. a professor of physical therapy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (http://www.lowerextremityreview.com/cover_story/heel-pain-revisited-new-guidelines-emphasize-evidence). Many, including Gross, believe injections compromise tissue that is already weak. And with such risks in treatment of heel pain, it is best to heed Dr. Schuler’s advice and check to see if you have Morton’s Toe; this could be the main cause of your heel problems, and it may be easier to treat in the long run.